Friends remember Rochester Hills soldier killed in Afghanistan, members of Baptist church threaten to protest

JERRY WOLFFE

Published
12:00 am EDT, Thursday, August 16, 2012

Erica Adams remembers the shock and sorrow she felt when her lifelong friend Lisa McClain called and said, "Kyle's not coming back."

Adams had been friends with McClain since they were 5 years old. She, Lisa and Lisa's husband Sgt. Kyle McClain graduated from Rochester High School.

Kyle, a National Guard soldier, was killed Aug. 1 when he stepped on an improvised explosive device in Salim Aka, Afghanistan. Four other soldiers were injured. McClain was promoted from being a specialist to sergeant the day he died.

"She (Lisa) called me about 11 p.m. at a friend's house," said Adams. "I answered as I normally do when she calls: 'Hey lady, how are you doing? She said: Are you busy? No, why what's wrong? Are you OK?'" Adams said she asked. "...not OK," Lisa answered.

"Tell me what's wrong," Adams said. "Kyle is not coming home. Two men in uniform just showed up and told me my husband was killed," Lisa told Erica through tears.

McClain graduated from Rochester High in the class of 2005. His wife a year earlier. The two were married Oct. 10, 2010 and had no children. They lived in Shelby Township.

"Kyle was my friend," said Adams. "He was friends with a lot of our friends. Lisa is one of the most amazing women I ever met in my life," Adams said in an interview from Cape Coral, Fla. on Thursday, the day a funeral Mass was being said for Kyle at St. Mary of the Hills Catholic Church in Rochester Hills. Kyle was to be buried at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, Mich., after the service.

The group claims "God hates America and is killing our troops in his wrath," a press release on its website, Godhatesfags.com, says.

"I think they're ignorant, brainwashed fools," said Adams of the Westboro group and its protests against homosexuality by picketing at military funerals.

Samantha Witter, who went to school with Lisa, Kyle and Adams, said she felt terrible when she heard of his death.

"I think the way he died is tragic," said Witter. "It just breaks my heart for Lisa and his family. He was a great guy. It's just really sad we lost him so early."

Witter said the Westboro group "makes me sick. I can wrap my head around people having different opinions and ideas. I get that. Why would you do this to a family mourning the loss of a family member?" she said in reference to protesting at a soldier's funeral. "It's just human decency to leave this family grieve in peace."

Adams said Kyle's father and mother were "the sweetest" people.

"When I was getting up to leave the funeral home to go to the airport he got up and gave me a big hug," she said of when she was leaving the Potere-Modetz Funeral home and of McClain's father, Mike. "He viewed me as his daughter. He said, 'Thank you so much for caring enough to be here with my girl (Lisa). I love you."